About

My YA work blends LGBT characters with Appalachian settings. I wrote my first book, Welcome to Straightville, in 2008 and am currently working on a 2018 revision. I’ve written two other YA books, Blades of Grass andThe Art Project. I also have a free e-read available now called One Way In. It’s a short prequel to Straightville and part of Brent Hartinger’s Real Story Safe Sex Project, which was designed to showcase characters making safe choices during sexual situations.

I recently completed a children’s picture book manuscript called A Chicken in the City, quite a departure from my YA work, but a load of fun to write. You can learn more about all of these projects on my Books page.

I was born and raised in Appalachia, which, as I said, is where I set my books. I do this partly because it’s what I know, but more so because it’s an underrepresented part of our country. And when it is represented, it’s often done so by playing to negative stereotypes. I find that highly annoying.

I began writing creatively at the age of 13, cutting my teeth with poetry, then moving on to short fiction, and dabbling in screenwriting before landing in the illustrious world of fiction. For more about my life and work, try following me on Twitter or Facebook or exploring this site some more.

Tidbits:

For 20 years, I’ve operated a website for the Golden Girls spinoff series, Empty Nest. It’s led to some pretty cool stuff, like these interviews.